Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
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Authority. Power. Divine presence. These are the things that stand out in this passage. Indeed, they arrested the attention of the people of Capernaum – how could they not? They’re left puzzling through all they have seen and heard, so much so that they couldn’t help but gossip the news throughout the region.
As Jesus teaches in the Capernaum synagogue, everyone immediately noticed something startlingly new. He spoke with authority. The rabbis of the day typically quoted their predecessors in an effort to authenticate their own teaching. Not so Jesus. He spoke truth that emanated from himself. The people could hear it. Unmistakably.
And then they saw it. In the confrontation with the demon, it was as if the curtain was pulled back and they caught a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes reality. The demon, confronted by Jesus’ sheer presence, is set back on its heels, and cries out through the afflicted man’s mouth and lungs with the sneering bravado of a school-yard bully that has met his match. “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” The whining tone already reveals the demon is outgunned.
But it’s the next statement that pulls back the veil. “I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” This is a high title, absolutely indicating Jesus’ divinity – the demon clearly sees what has not yet been perceived by the people in that synagogue. Mark uses identical words when he reports this same incident (Mark 1:24), but the only other time it’s used is when Peter himself says to Jesus: “You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69). No wonder Jesus speaks with authority.
And power. He rebukes the demon, telling it to be quiet (literally “Be muzzled!”) and commanding it to come out of the man. The demon has no choice. Authority and power and divine presence overwhelm it. The man is released.
This is still very early in Jesus’ ministry. Indeed, it’s the first miracle Luke reports. Reality takes time to break through. But already the people are amazed (rightly so!) and question one another, “What is this teaching?”, a question that dovetails with another appearing frequently in the Gospels: “Who is this?”
Authority. Power. Divine presence. The demon sees it clearly.
Oh, may we see it clearer yet.
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Dear Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see you more and more clearly. I submit to your authority. I rely on your power. I revel in your presence. To your glory. Amen.
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Reflet:
Here are Jesus’ concluding words to his disciples in Matthew’s Gospel: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The words are still true. How, then, will you actively rely today on his real authority, power, and presence? What difference will they make?
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Photo by Kevin Schmid on Unsplash
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